Book For Kids Draft - The Book of Monsters and Stardust
Callie McNally loved asking questions, especially those of the strangest kind. But her father would always tell her he was busy, or give her a pat on the head, an impossible answer with a grin and a wink.
But this question truly made him stop to think.
“Papa, why do we dream?”Callie asked, peering into his dimly lit office.
Callie’s Dad stopped, “I don’t know.”He said.
Callie frowned - she had gotten this answer loads of times.
But then he continued…
With a soft smile, he said “I don’t know why, I just know who”
“I just know who? What does that mean?”Callie thought, but no time for that -
Her father asked.“Isn’t it time for you to sleep?”
Callie groaned, “Why can’t I stay up as late as you?”
Oh no, Father thought, another question to do.
“Because then you’ll grow crabby and cranky. You’ll grow long fangs and turn into a monstrous beast, with fire and wings.”
“Oh, but Papa, then I can fly and do incredible things! Papa why can’t I stay up like you?”
“Because you have too many questions and you need to dream.”Her Father tucked her into bed.
“But where do my questions come from?”Callie couldn’t contain her head.
With a smile and a wink Papa said, “From the place all little curious children get their dreams- a place called Evenfall.”
Excited, Callie jumped in her bed, up to the ceiling, almost hitting her head.
“Tell me, Papa!”Callie pleaded.
“Only if you shut your eyes and listen, my heart.”He ceded.
Callie jumped under the covers and shut her eyes together tight.
“Far, far away, in a place unknown to man, there exists a Library. But not just any Library- a Library for curious little ones who can’t keep their questions to themselves whatsoever.
The Librarians there know answers to all things, but they aren’t your typical Librarians: for not one is like another. One has terrible fangs, and claws, and wings that can knock the very tall shelves over. That one runs the cafe.
The main librarian has the head and arms of a grizzly bear but has armadillo armor over his back and body. He spends his days reading, reaching for the top shelf or tending his garden.
“Here in the Library, there is no question too big, no question too small. All can be answered. All the Librarians have the ability to hear a crying child. But they fret not for long- for in the Library there is a book waiting for a reader, a book waiting to be picked up again. In the Library there is one book that is different for every reader. One that only the Librarians know the true story.
But the only way to find it, to find the Library is at night, where you dream..”
Callie opened an eye at her Father, suspicious. “I don’t need wings to fly there?”
“Nope.”
“Not even some stairs?”
“They do have stairs but not for you - they lower them down into the clouds only when they need to.”
“Then how do I find it?”
He said softly, “Good night.”
With a grin but no wink, “Remember. I don’t know why or how, I just know who.”
So with more unanswered questions and a traveling mind, Callie McNally kept her eyes closed,
But something happened,
She supposed.
Because when she opened her eyes, there was a brilliant white light
It felt strange, pulling from a place deep inside, reaching up to incredible heights
And before she knew it she was walking through two great doors
And up up up into Evenfall
(Segment here of illustration of Callie walking in her pajamas from darkness to light, Her cat in the background, freaked out, follows)
But this question truly made him stop to think.
“Papa, why do we dream?”Callie asked, peering into his dimly lit office.
Callie’s Dad stopped, “I don’t know.”He said.
Callie frowned - she had gotten this answer loads of times.
But then he continued…
With a soft smile, he said “I don’t know why, I just know who”
“I just know who? What does that mean?”Callie thought, but no time for that -
Her father asked.“Isn’t it time for you to sleep?”
Callie groaned, “Why can’t I stay up as late as you?”
Oh no, Father thought, another question to do.
“Because then you’ll grow crabby and cranky. You’ll grow long fangs and turn into a monstrous beast, with fire and wings.”
“Oh, but Papa, then I can fly and do incredible things! Papa why can’t I stay up like you?”
“Because you have too many questions and you need to dream.”Her Father tucked her into bed.
“But where do my questions come from?”Callie couldn’t contain her head.
With a smile and a wink Papa said, “From the place all little curious children get their dreams- a place called Evenfall.”
Excited, Callie jumped in her bed, up to the ceiling, almost hitting her head.
“Tell me, Papa!”Callie pleaded.
“Only if you shut your eyes and listen, my heart.”He ceded.
Callie jumped under the covers and shut her eyes together tight.
“Far, far away, in a place unknown to man, there exists a Library. But not just any Library- a Library for curious little ones who can’t keep their questions to themselves whatsoever.
The Librarians there know answers to all things, but they aren’t your typical Librarians: for not one is like another. One has terrible fangs, and claws, and wings that can knock the very tall shelves over. That one runs the cafe.
The main librarian has the head and arms of a grizzly bear but has armadillo armor over his back and body. He spends his days reading, reaching for the top shelf or tending his garden.
“Here in the Library, there is no question too big, no question too small. All can be answered. All the Librarians have the ability to hear a crying child. But they fret not for long- for in the Library there is a book waiting for a reader, a book waiting to be picked up again. In the Library there is one book that is different for every reader. One that only the Librarians know the true story.
But the only way to find it, to find the Library is at night, where you dream..”
Callie opened an eye at her Father, suspicious. “I don’t need wings to fly there?”
“Nope.”
“Not even some stairs?”
“They do have stairs but not for you - they lower them down into the clouds only when they need to.”
“Then how do I find it?”
He said softly, “Good night.”
With a grin but no wink, “Remember. I don’t know why or how, I just know who.”
So with more unanswered questions and a traveling mind, Callie McNally kept her eyes closed,
But something happened,
She supposed.
Because when she opened her eyes, there was a brilliant white light
It felt strange, pulling from a place deep inside, reaching up to incredible heights
And before she knew it she was walking through two great doors
And up up up into Evenfall
(Segment here of illustration of Callie walking in her pajamas from darkness to light, Her cat in the background, freaked out, follows)
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